HAIKU DIALOGUE – The Haiku Mind – Wild Animals

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1. the lingering wolf, the slithering sidewinder, the gorilla’s eyes, the mangy dog, the wild turkey, the rampaging ram, the mouse who understands, the wombats only in encyclopedias…

   these made me pause, reflect, appreciate

   I feel fortunate to have found this platform

   thank you everyone for your verses!

   1. Glad you can join us!

2. I always wish to comment here, and then, to comment more! I dream as in life in general to go back and touch more deeply, express more, connect more..if only!! But here a morsel. Thank you ELisabetta…I read your comment which included my haiku AFTER I had made this tiny list of haiku that reaches my heart. Your squirrel seen is my squirrel seen (everyday on my walks everywhere) and the mother raccoon’ s feelings felt …and how we feel our own wilderness in the looking..as Peggy feels it… and Olivier we together feel the sight of the same racoon’s quiet distinctive tail … when we lived in Santa Barbara in our wolfish creekside backyard raccoon families came, ate, and played, I could identify by distictive habits and gave them names…they would return as if to share in this intimate way…some of their mystery!

   Into the eyes
   of a squirrel
   … for a moment
   Elisabetta Castagnol

   just out of sight
   the wilderness
   in us all

   Peggy Hale Bilbro

   quiet night…
   out of the garbage can
   a racoon’s tail

   Olivier Schopfer, Switzerland

   I hope to write more …list more…I loved so many wild ones…poets and thank you all for all this beautiful poetic work.

3. So many wonderful verses this week. So pleased to see my friends Al Gallia and Christina Chin they both inspire me to write.
   Some of my favorite topics are presented here too, wolves, fog,

4. summer zoo
   in the eyes of the gorilla
   fatigue
   .
   Teiichi Suzuki
   .
   This one stuck with me. The single word in line 3 is effective.
   *
   evening bourbon
   the fierce warble
   of a wild turkey
   .
   Joshua Gage
   .
   Clever double meaning in the “wild turkey” label bourbon.
   *
   The playful accidental, or not, rhyme in Lemuel Waite’s “chick-a-dee” made me smile.

   1. Debbie, thanks for your comment.

5. Thanks for publishing my poem and for the wonderful comment… I’m happy!
   A lovely selection. Very appealing read. Congratulations everyone

   My favorites are

   just out of sight
   the wilderness
   in us all

   —Peggy Hale Bilbro

   spring…
   I wonder if swallows
   are pets
   —–Tsanka Shishkova

   a shrill cry
   of the koala bear
   distant thunder

   —–Hifsa Ashraf

   a butterfly egg –
   the empty side
   of spring
   —–Benedetta Cardone

   chasing a fly
   my cat
   so wild…
   —-Zlatka Timenova

   snow moon
   the bobcat’s tracks
   cross my own
   —-Autumn Noelle Hall

   how she holds
   my gaze
   mother raccoon
   —-Kath Abela Wilson, Pasadena, California

   1. Thank you for including my haiku, Elisabetta! I thought yours was lovely as well—especially the way that mutual gaze lingers. It also calls to mind trying to see the world from the squirrel’s perspective for a moment. Our squirrels like to sit at the end of the deck rail to peer into our kitchen nook windows at us. Once they make eye contact, they put tiny hands to chest as if to say, “Me…? Might you have something for me…?” It usually results in us delivering handfuls of peanuts in the shell.
      *
      How well they have us trained:D
      *
      ~Autumn

      1. Wow!
         Fantastic!
         Thank you

   2. Thank you Elisabetta for including my haiku in your favorites. I agree that there are some stellar poems in this weeks collection!

6. What a wonderful collection of haiku! I always enjoy reading and thinking about the poems from so many excellent poets. Thank you for choosing mine for commentary! That was a nice surprise. Thank you KJ, Tia and Lori for all your work putting this together for our pleasure each week!

7. I wait for the change of guard to post again

8. evening bourbon
   the fierce warble
   of a wild turkey

   Joshua Gage

   Love this one for perfectly capturing the turkey’s gobble with “fierce warble.” And I always appreciate good word play.

   *
   summer night
   all that’s wild in me
   awakens

   Michele L. Harvey

   A lovely reminder that we too are animals.

   *

   snow moon
   the bobcat’s tracks
   cross my own

   Autumn Noelle Hall

   A beautiful moment of how our lives intersect with those of others, including the wild creatures we share space with.

   1. Thank you, Kristen, for your beautiful comment about my bobcat haiku. I especially love your use of the words “intersect” and “share.” Such important relational concepts, if we are to continue life on planet Earth together in a meaningful way.
      *
      I had originally considered having the lines cross one another on a diagonal, as in a concrete poem. I’m glad to see the concept came across without that device.
      *
      ~Autumn

9. Many poems spoke to me

   Marion Clarke’s rat snake to begin with. It’s so well crafted. Yes ‘ somewhere’ we all have this fear. L 3 gives a perfect twist.

   Kath Abela’s ‘ raccoon’ poem. It’s so real. A perfect capture of the moment.

   Teiichi Suzuki’s poem about the fatigue in the gorilla’s eyes. Very poignant

10. Such a great cast this week, loved reading them all.
    I chose a few that I could relate to. Well done everyone.
    .
    desert winds
    the sidewinder’s slither
    swept away
    .
    Terri French
    .
    Love the subtlety in this Terri.
    .
    housebound…
    the Egret out back fishes
    instead of me
    .
    Pris Campbell
    .
    Love the power of feeling in this one Pris. Always a pleasure to read your words.
    .

    summer zoo
    in the eyes of gorilla
    fatigue
    .
    Teiichi Suzuki, Japan
    .
    I sometimes wonder who is the animal in these situations. A great reflective piece Teiichi Suzuki.
    .

    a shrill cry
    of the koala bear
    distant thunder
    .
    Hifsa Ashraf
    .
    Such a heart tugging poem, Haifa’s Ashraf. So often us humans fail to watch out for the little things in life. I do hope enough remain to entertain us human for a long time to come.
    .

    rampaging ram
    in the roadside
    dad drunk again
    .
    Roberta Beary, County Mayo Ireland
    .
    Pleased to be able to say I never had a father who was ever affected by fire water, Roberta. I have though heard and seen some of the moments of fun, laughter and sadness. A whole world in 12 syllables. Nicely done!
    .

    autumn leaves
    squirrels in and out
    of my attic
    .
    Rich Schilling, Webster Groves, MO
    .
    I’ve lived this moment Rich, for three days we tried to tease the blighter out. In the end choosing to have a face off in the loft. Quite vicious little things to get rid of. Pleased to say it lived to blight some other poor soul. A warning to others to ensure no hole remain at the roof line.
    Nicely reflected.
    .
    I didn’t get to post my own this week, whether it would have made it through is another thing.
    .
    warning lights
    the crocodiles jaws firm
    on the flat bat….

    1. Glad to hear you won the fight with the squirrel, until the next one, because there’s always a next one and glad you enjoyed my haiku!

    2. Thank you , Robert, for your meaningful comment.

11. desert winds
    the sidewinder’s slither
    swept away

    Terri French

    love this~~~~ terri…..and not just because i live in the desert….your play on the ‘s’ sounds brings out the sound of wind, and sound of snake movement, your choice of words is incredibly smart.
    .
    can see why tia was attentive in posting it here.

    1. not to forget…..the unsaid……..”sand”….which held the slither!!!!!

12. Thank you, all of the lovely poets, for giving me hours of exploration and reflection. A few examples of writing “the intriguing, aa-haa moment”.
    .
    evening light
    a chase round and round
    in the snow
    Janice Munro
     .
    autumn leaves
    squirrels in and out
    of my attic
    Rich Schilling, Webster Groves, MO
     .
    snow moon
    the bobcat’s tracks
    cross my own
    Autumn Noelle Hall
     .
    the last place I expected
    ……..it watching me
    ……………coyote
    Deborah P Kolodji, Temple City, California

    1. Thank you so much for including my haiku, Lemuel. If I could post a pic of our bobcat, you would be aghast—she’s the biggest we’ve ever seen. We’re guessing she weighs somewhere between 65-75 pounds, and that’s solid muscle. She sauntered across our front yard in broad daylight like she owned the place! But then, as her kind was here long before us, she’s entitled. Just keeping fingers crossed that my puppy and I don’t encounter her on one of our 3 am outings!
       *
       ~Autumn

    2. Thank you, Lemuel for your mention. The baby squirrels I saw at dusk playing tag were delightful and a haiku gift…though I sometimes write from memory I prefer the input of a fresh moment.

    3. Glad you enjoyed mine!

13. I appreciate also the hard work the moderators take on in doing this feature. I’ve not been chosen every time, either, but always enjoy reading what was selected.

    1. ditto!!!!!!

    2. Pris, I agree! This must surely take a lot of time on the part of the moderators and even if my piece is not chosen it is a pleasure to read those that were!

14. A fun romp through the wild–and not-quite-wild–world of animals! I plan to come back and comment further when I have a bit more time. But for now, I couldn’t help but giggle at the ubiquitousness of our masked bandit “trash panda” neighbors:
    *
    quiet night…
    out of the garbage can
    a racoon’s tail
    *
    Olivier Schopfer, Switzerland
    *
    Yosemite park-
    the racoon’s eyes fixed
    on mine
    *
    Julia Guzmán
    *
    walking at night
    the glowing green eyes
    of raccoons
    *
    Ronald K. Craig, Batavia, OH, USA
    *
    how she holds
    my gaze
    mother raccoon
    *
    Kath Abela Wilson, Pasadena, California
    *
    burbling brook…
    in the raccoon’s grasp
    a struggling crawfish
    *
    Al Gallia, Lafayette, Louisiana
    *
    In response to and appreciation of all of the above, here’s my two cent’s worth (based, as always, on personal experience):
    *
    by far the smartest
    tools in the shed
    raccoon kits
    *
    😀
    ~Autumn

    1. hahaha. Yes, the raccoon was well-represented which was quite fun to see.

    2. Brilliant, Autumn, a lovely addition.
       The only furry things I see in our sheds is the odd rat or mice doesn’t have the same appeal, somehow, the only good with this is they attract owls.

       1. Thanks so much, Carol! In our tiny mountain town, it’s safe to leave your diamond ring out on the porch, but—due to bears in particular—you’d better lock up your trash! We have a small shed built onto the deck for just that purpose, although it doubles in holding my husband’s tool collection. One summer, we had and entire family of raccoons lay claim to the uppermost shelf of the shed. My husband went out to lock up the bird feeders and found 5 pairs of bright, curious eyes gazing down at him. They’d managed to pull back the mesh airing panel under the rear eaves and sneak in. We’ve since eliminated that possibility. But they often come to wash in our heated bird bath over night. They’re very entertaining—and resourceful. But we keep a watchful eye, because they’d be ferocious if they encountered our puppy.
          *
          Still, I’ll take wild animals over people for neighbors any day!
          *
          ~Autumn

          1. Interesting takes on wild life; I could not help noticing Autumn’s brave:

             ‘Still, I’ll take wild animals over people for neighbors any day!’ Agreed.

             Zoos are still popular, but our values are gradually changing on how we should treat essentially wild creatures, esp. in circuses. Animals ought never to be for human entertainment; this maybe harks back to times when there was more of a balance between people and wildlife. We cannot afford this way of thinking now. Is there, even now as we speak, a price to be paid as we watch the destruction of habitats, retail trade in live creatures and use of animal parts for superficial cosmetic and ‘medicinal’ benefits?

             1. Well said, Ingrid, couldn’t have said it better.
                Billions of £/$ are made every year with the illegal trade of wild animals, that’s without the trade of poached endangered animals for various parts of their bodies, sickening.
                Then there’s the puppy trade, this abuse just goes on and on…

          2. A vivid picture of life in the shed, Autumn.
             I’ve only seen racoons on the TV, they look so very appealing, but as you have mentioned there’s always an element of danger with wild animals, no matter how small and cute. They do have a way of seeking out home comforts, and who can blame them.
             Now bears are a different kettle of fish, I often wonder how people manage when sharing the same environment, Oow! no thankyou. pretty spectacular to observe but I wouldn’t want to meet one on a hike through the woods.
             .
             Apart from the bears, I to prefer animals to people for neighbours, wild or otherwise.
             .
             Carol

          3. We had a raccoon break through our porch screen to get to our cat’s food. The top of the screen, mind you, not the bottom. We almost came face to face with it as it scrambled back up to escape. And they like our flat roof, too. How they make the leap we are not sure, but it’s an ongoing battle.

             1. Thank you Ingrid, Carol & Nancy—what an amazing conversation to wake up to!! A big yes to Ingrid for the idea of balance—we are PART of nature, and when we understand that, life is so much richer. To view nature as an all-you-can-eat buffet for human consumption is to loose something vital and integral.
                *
                Yes to Carol re. rodents attracting owls. We’ve a family of Great Horned owls that enjoy the mice who in turn enjoy the spilled seed from the feeders. I often wake up to their dissonant lullabies in the wee hours—the owls, that is. Do mice sing lullabies…?
                *
                Yes to Nancy about raccoons and pet food! Even after we’d secured that shed, Mama Raccoon managed to wriggle her hand under the steel door (which replaced
                the hollow core door the bear removed) and paw open a bag of dog food so as to keep her kits in kibble. It was quite the show from our dining room windows!
                *
                My experience with wild animals—including the bears—is that because we respect them as equals, we have a sort of “do no harm” mutual understanding. Of course that does not include things like the doe giving my weeping cherry tree a bob, or the brown bear pulling down a 12 foot deck rail—4×4 posts and all—to get to a suet cake. But that’s only to be expected when we insist on putting tasty vittles on offer! I’ve coaxed the doe up a dozen flagstone steps to get her out of the garden; and my husband has clapped and asked to bear to please lumber along—which the bear graciously does.
                *
                It is not only possible, it is a privilege to live in such close proximity with so many magnificent beings…Their motives are so much more honest; and their ability to live harmoniously is an inspiration.
                *
                ~Autumn

          4. It is not only possible, it is a privilege to live in such close proximity with so many magnificent beings…Their motives are so much more honest; and their ability to live harmoniously is an inspiration. – Autumn

             I keep coming back to this. As my daughters are growing they are wondering more and more about the world around them. They are learning this, the beauty of earth’s cycles, and how we were meant to live in harmony with nature. I hadn’t thought about the honesty of animals but it is true. They show no pretense, no masking of emotions or motives, and they inhabit themselves fully. And surely we can learn from them.

             1. I am so glad to know this resonated with you, Tia. Thank you for teaching your daughters to ground themselves in Nature. Maybe this is how we will reclaim our good standing with the Earth—one daughter at a time.
                *
                this secret passed
                from mother to daughter—
                trees hug back
                *
                ~Autumn

          5. Hi Autumn, did you write this? It’s beautiful and resonates with me deeply. There was no ‘reply’ on that particular post :-

             *
             this secret passed
             from mother to daughter—
             trees hug back
             *
             Autumn

             1. Yes, Kanjini, I wrote that haiku in honor of Tia’s daughters and my own. I’m so happy it held meaning for you, too!
                *
                Thank you for reaching out to comment…
                *
                ~Autumn

    3. Thanks for your observation of how differently racoons make us to a certain extent have joy. I had the experience I wrote about more than thirty years ago and I could put into words last week. I still hace His eyes in mine.
       Thanks for commenting.

15. Another thought-provoking selection. Thanks to kj, Tia and Lori for all the work you do.
    I have three to comment on:
    housebound…
    the egret out back fishes
    instead of me By Pris Campbell There’s so much longing in this – I feel the frustration, but also a sense of enjoyment at being close enough to see the sights of nature close to home.
    summer night
    all that’s wild in me
    awakens By Michele L. Harvey I like trying to figure out which one of the senses was activated to experience this haiku. Lots to imagine in this poem.
    summer zoo
    in the eyes of gorilla
    fatigue By Teiichi Suzuki Every time I’ve visited a zoo, I’ve felt frustrated for the captive wild creatures, who are kept safe and fed, but who cannot live their lives as nature intended. And, yes, I’ve seen fatigue in the eyes of a gorilla, a rhino, a zebra, etc.

    1. Thanks for picking mine out as one to comment on. Yes, longing and joy combined.

    2. Thanks Pat, for your wonderful comment.

16. Another fabulous line-up of verses, so much primal energy within many verse, dainty countryside and garden images, and fun ones. Congratulations to all poets, well done.
    .
    Thankyou, Tia, for your selection of marvellous poems, again, this week. I look forward to reading them on a Wednesday afternoon.
    .
    brumby
    keeping to herself
    a country girl
    — Bakhtiyar Amini
    On the surface this has a calmness to it with the image of the horse, out there, distant, in its own space, away from the herd. People, as animals, too, have their own preferences, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting your own space, being different, just being the way you are.
    .
    housebound…
    the egret outback fishes
    instead of me
    — Pris Campbell
    I can feel the longing of the ‘housebound’ person’s wanting to be able to be out there, free, doing the fishing along with the egret, no measure of anger, but I can just hear that resigned ‘sigh’
    .
    into the yard
    my grandma squawking…
    a little fox
    — Daniela Misso
    A delightful image. I feel grandma’s squawking is one of pleasure and surprise at seeing this wonderful creature. Love this.
    .
    wolf moon… summer night
    deep in the woods all that’s wild in me
    a mating howl awakens
    —R. Suresh Babu —Michele L. Harvey
    I’ve placed these together as they appeal to me equally for their depth and quality of the natural world.
    I just hope they appear as I have placed them in the post.
    .
    rampaging ram
    in the roadside
    dad drunk again
    —Roberta Beary
    I think many of us have witnessed this and had a giggle at a scene, and more often than not, dad, always seems a little sheepish the morning after. 🙂 Smashing read.

    1. Nope!
       .
       wolf moon
       deep in the woods
       a mating howl
       — R. Suresh Babu
       .
       summer night
       all that’s wild in me
       awakens
       — Michele L. Harvey
       I like these two verses in equal measure, they have a primal edginess to them, and also a quality and depth of the natural world. Very appealing read.
       .
       My apologies for the above blending.

       1. I rather liked the pairing as you wrote it. I thought it was intentional, and they worked together well.
          .
          Thanks Tia for including mine among all the excellent others. Some wistful, some profound, and some just full of wildness, whether the animals or the person himself or herself.
          .
          As for mine, I discovered wombats as a kid when I chose the letter W from our encyclopedia, and leafed through it reading about wombats. I have always wanted to see,them in the flesh, fur that is, but few if any are in zoos. With all the wildfires ongoing in Australia, I worry that they have been decimated like the koala and other animals of the out back, and in the years to come, it will only be sadly the way they are experienced through books. Seeing a wombat is one of my bucket list items. Alas…

          1. Thank you Carol for your insightful commentary. And thank you Nancy for sharing the story behind yours. My daughter is fascinated by wombats and I have the same fear as you. I still have hope that she will see one one day. I hope you get to as well!

             1. Thankyou, Tia.
                I’m sure all poets realise that if our work isn’t on the list it’s not because they aren’t a worthy read, its just not quite what you were looking for this time, Its a great thread, and you do a fantastic job with it, may it go on and on . . .

             2. Supposedly there are combats in the Chicago zoo, and I hope to go there sometime soon.
                When I heard the Cleveland zoo had an Australian exhibit, I was so excited thinking that maybe, just maybe there would be some wombats there. Not to be, but Cleveland does have a great Australian exhibit…koalas, kangaroos, and more if you have not seen it yet, Tia.

             3. Nancy, I think the Cleveland zoo was one of our first stops as a family when we moved. It’s a lovely place (except that hill is quite a doozy). I always struggle in my heart when I’m at the zoo. It is wonderful to get to see animals I wouldn’t be able to otherwise. But, at what cost? I know zoos work with conservation projects and can do a lot of good yet I see the caged animals and wonder if this isn’t a old barbaric practice.

          2. Thanks, Nancy, I’m glad you mentioned the blending, I too liked it when I read it, but as they were written by other poets I felt it only right to put things right and apologies, however, some good things happen just by accident 🙂
             .
             It is sad thought that in the future the only place the future generation will see animal will be in a zoo. Zoo, now seems archaic and quite an outdated Victorian name, this naming I hope will soon be rectified to an area more in keeping with conservation.
             Hoping you get to see the little darlings in the wild 🙂

17. Disappointed that I have not been included. Hope my contributions are reaching though, I respect editorial decisions !

    1. It is a little disappointing, Arvinder, but take comfort in the fact that there are other, too, that are not selected, myself included.
       None the less it is an opportunity to learn when reading other’s poems and leaving a comment or two, of what you see and feel, and also reading the comments of others.
       .
       Take care Arvinder, enjoy the journey of the read.

       1. thanks so much, Carol, for this respectful & positive response! I can confirm that your submission was received, Arvinder, & I want to take this opportunity to thank our current guest editor, Tia Haynes, & all past guest editors, for stepping up to volunteer & make this wonderful column happen… a challenge to all poets out there – let me know if you are interested in trying your hand at it! kj

          1. Dear KJ
             It is always a pleasure to respond to this thread. I understand that guest editors, as well as others, see and feel different emotions within the words received, and also realise how they would like their column to read, one thing I personally don’t worry about is not being selected, on times I’m not the most subtle writer 🙂 but I love doing it.
             I too, would like to thank, Tia, and all the other guest editors for the opportunity of presenting a verse or two, and to the unseen who do the hard work behind the scenes to keep it all running smoothly.
             .
             I can’t find the appropriate words to express my utter delight of your offer of ‘trying my hand at it’ a challenge, indeed.
             This is a terrific opportunity, and one I will keep in mind for when I am more experienced in the world of haiku poetry.
             .
             Thankyou so much KJ Munro
             .
             Kindest Regards
             Carol

          2. Hi Kj, yes it is so very challenging to put together such a beauty of a column. Thank you for the offer. I am travelling in the coming weeks whilst I might encounter internet issues but will surely try once I am back . Thanks for considering me.

             Warm regards
             arvinder

       2. Yes certainly it is Carol! The disappointment was initial,natural and forgivable i guess. Only i voiced it a bit too soon and tad impulsively. I have been a long time reader of this blog and so totally appreciate the hard work put in week after week by the Editors and the Curators. It is not easy to sustain such a beautiful column for so long.

          Thanks Lori,Thanks Tia,thanks Kj
          warm regards

          1. Thanks for your heartfelt reply, Arvinder. Its understandable, we all, at sometime, have this impulse to voice our disappointment, but I felt you did it with compassion and not with any ill intent. Admirable
             have a great day, sunshine 🙂

    2. Arvinder, My submissions don’t always get selected, but I take it as a learning experience. Whether I’m in or not – I enjoy reading everyone’s work , the commentaries by the editor, and what others have to say about the selected poems.

       1. Thanks Pat ! Absolutely enjoy reading the poems. And yes,it happens to all of us !

          Warmly
          arvinder

          1. thanks all! kj

18. Yosemite park-
    the racoon’s eyes fixed
    on mine

    Julia, “my” racoon looking for food in the garbage can was also in Yosemite (September 2014) 😉

    1. What a coincidence! I have yet to visit Yosemite but it’s on my bucket list 🙂

    2. Olivier, what a coincidence !. I love It. I had the experience a long time ago when I visited USA for the first Time. I still have His image in me since It was the first time in my life I saw one.

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